MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is set to conduct a dry run today on the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Harbor Link Segment 10 from Karuhatan, Valenzuela City to the new Caloocan Interchange on C3 Road, Caloocan City.

The dry run will be led by DPWH Secretary Mark Villar along with Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) president Rodrigo Franco and NLEX Corp. president Luigi Bautista.

“The NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 will be a traffic game changer since this will drastically cut travel time from Port Area to NLEX. Once opened, around 30,000 vehicles daily will be diverted away from busy roads in Metro Manila,” Villar said.

The DPWH official added that the elevated expressway would greatly benefit truckers and freight forwarders because their cargo trucks would be spared the truck ban and lead to faster delivery of goods to and from the provinces.

Villar said that in a recent study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, “traffic congestion in Metro Manila is costing the country P3.5 billion a day. This new road will be a big boost to our economy as billions of pesos will be saved annually with the improved travel time.”

Bautista said aside from connecting NLEX to key areas in Metro Manila, the segment “is seen to bring more opportunities in nearby communities such as generation of employment and increase in land values.”

Franco, on the other hand, said “Metro Pacific remains committed in supporting the government in its infrastructure projects to improve accessibility between airports, seaports, and growth corridors in both the north and south.”

When US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited last week, he made assurances his country would come to the Philippines’ defense in the event of an armed attack on our vessels and aircraft in the South China Sea.

President Duterte and visiting Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad emphasized yesterday the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea in maintaining peace and progress in the region, which is grappling with territorial disputes as well as China’s muscle-flexing.